......makes a difference

Created by: Deborah Northwood

Agenda Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Canada

Mentoring

The Raw Facts

The Good News!

Testimonials

Big Brothers & Big Sisters

For over 80 years, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program has made a difference in the lives of young people by providing a friend where one is needed

Providing support to more than 1,000 Canadian communities

The impact made by volunteers is truly overwhelming

Children who have been in the program see real, positive change.

You don’t have to be perfect to be a mentor to a child,

just caring, fun loving and reliable......

This alone could make a profound difference

in the child's life

A Big Brother Is..... A great listener

Truly caring about people

Believing in others’ capabilities

Patient and kind

Sensitive to the needs and circumstances of others

Humourous and outgoing

Committed to relationships

Open to different points of view

Who can be a Big Brother?

You can!

What it means for a child (Little) When asked what they were looking for from a “Big”,

three “Littles” responded:

“Someone who will be nice to me, care for me, helps me out when I’m sad.....”

“Someone to spend time with.....”

“Someone nice, fun, who’ll pick me up when I’m down......”

The Raw Facts The demand for youth mentoring far exceeds the

number of available “Bigs”

More than 10,000 children are currently on waiting lists and some wait as long as two years

In Clarington 13 kids are waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister

Some have waited more than two years

Mentoring Works Littles go on to graduate from high school at a rate 20% higher

than the national average*

78% of Littles who came from a social assistance background no longer rely on this form of income*

Mentoring helps keep kids: off drugs out of gangs in school so they can fulfill their dreams.

(*Project Impact, Social Planning Council of Hamilton and District, Hamilton, 1994).

Give a little time, get a lot in return

It only takes a few hours a month to make a huge difference in the life of a child

And the best part,

you’ll not only see what it does for them, you’ll feelwhat it does for you.

“I was matched with my Big Brother Jack at a very young age, around 7.......

Jack changed the way I looked at life....he set an example for me and showed me what a few hours a week will do for a child. He showed me what a loving relationship is all about. ........Jack was a very giving person....... His life was devoted to his family and to volunteering...... He is a man I look up to and mimick in my everyday life”

“.........., without my big brother Mike I don't know what I'd be doing now or where I'd be.

......My big and I go and do tons of things from camping to going to concerts.

I'm writing this to mostly say thanks to my big for all he's done.

“I am writing to thank you and everyone else for getting me a Big Brother, Mark.......

We have lots of fun together.

We have gone fishing, I’ve seen some airplanes with him, we went to the park and the beach.

www.bbsc.ca